Category: Voices

  • From My Bookshelf: Philipp Meyer

    From My Bookshelf: Philipp Meyer

    By Lynn Willoughby The Son ~ Philipp Meyer This book was a recommendation and is a good read if you like historical fiction. It deals with three generations of the McCullough family with chapters alternating so that each of the story tellers speaks in the first person. It begins in Texas in the 1800s when…

  • Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Cake Mixes and Frozen Blueberries

    Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Cake Mixes and Frozen Blueberries

    By Reena Nerbas Stained Corning Ware Dear Reena, We have two Corning Ware casserole dishes that were bought used. They are stained and I am wondering if you have a suggestion as to how these stains might be removed. Thanks, Barb Dear Barb. In a large pot, combine 3 cups (750 mL) vinegar, 4 cups…

  • Planet Waves Horoscopes: June 19 – 26, 2017

    Planet Waves Horoscopes: June 19 – 26, 2017

    By Eric Francis Coppolino   ARIES — Make a point of recognizing the authority of others, particularly in subtle ways. Be cooperative, especially with partners and people you share your household with. Taking out the trash and doing the dishes grants considerable social standing, which in turn subverts power struggles. You alone can cultivate a…

  • From My Bookshelf: Lydia Cohen Lorgman

    From My Bookshelf: Lydia Cohen Lorgman

    By Lynn Willoughby The Two Family House ~ Lydia Cohen Lorgman Two brothers, Abe and Mort, run the family business in Brooklyn. They marry and for the sake of economy, they purchase a house together. Abe, Helen and their family live upstairs. They eventually have four rambunctious boys, who continuously irk their Uncle Mort and…

  • Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Cleaning Cedar Decks

    Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Cleaning Cedar Decks

    By Reena Nerbas Rancid Oil Smell on Towels Dear Reena, Due to an unfortunate (stupid) accident I spilled a whole deep fryer full of old oil on the floor. In my rush to make sure it didn’t seep into the cracks or around the edges of my laminate floor I grabbed quite a few of…

  • Planet Waves Horoscopes: June 12 – 19, 2017

    Planet Waves Horoscopes: June 12 – 19, 2017

    By Eric Francis Coppolino   ARIES — Nearly everything about the world as we know it is designed to detach us from our feelings and our bodies. You could make a long list: technology, so-called food, many medications, the ocean of alcohol consumed daily, the obscene pace of our lives, and numerous other factors. On the…

  • From My Bookshelf: Elizabeth Strout

    From My Bookshelf: Elizabeth Strout

    By Lynn Willoughby My Name is Lucy Barton ~ Elizabeth Strout Strout writes with a lack of sentimentality and this book is no exception. “Lucy’s childhood is steeped not just in financial hardship, but in cultural and emotional deprivation. Lucy’s childhood is devoid of books, magazines and neighbours.” Don’t be discouraged – this is a…

  • Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Laundry Room Odours

    Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Laundry Room Odours

    By Reena Nerbas Washing Machine Odour Dear Reena, Please end this torment, I am troubled with a laundry room odor that I can’t successfully eliminate and it emanates from my washer. I tried running vinegar through the machine as well as filling the drum and surrounding tub with a bleach/water solution and letting it sit for…

  • Planet Waves Horoscopes: June 5 – 12, 2017

    Planet Waves Horoscopes: June 5 – 12, 2017

    By Eric Francis Coppolino ARIES — There’s an old saying that “living well is the best revenge”; meaning, the most appropriate response to the slings and arrows and various other challenges of life. Yet suddenly there are not so many of those challenges, and you might well wonder where they went. So much of what you went…

  • Faith Forum: God’s Masterpiece

    Faith Forum: God’s Masterpiece

    By Gloria Wessner This week’s Faith Forum is going to explore an excerpt from the book of Ephesians in the scriptures. It was written by the apostle Paul to the people who lived in Ephesus, an ancient city near the Aegean Sea in present day Turkey. Paul wrote this to the Ephesians as a reminder…

  • From My Bookshelf: Tan Twang Eng

    From My Bookshelf: Tan Twang Eng

    By Lynn Willoughby The Garden of Evening Mists ~ Tan Twan Eng This novel is complex, sometimes brutal, often beautiful.  Teoh Yun Ling, the protagonist, is of Chinese origin but was born and raised in Maylaya. When the Japanese invaded the country, shortly before attacking Pearl Harbour, King and her sister Yun Hong are taken…

  • Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Safe Way to Get Rid of Ants

    Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Safe Way to Get Rid of Ants

    By Reena Nerbas Dents in Stainless Steel Fridge Dear Reena, Can the dents in my stainless-steel fridge be repaired? Vi Dear Vi, There is a theory that if you heat the dents with a hair dryer or press dry ice onto the area and then blast it with cold air, the dents should release and…

  • Planet Waves Horoscopes: May 29 – June 5, 2017

    Planet Waves Horoscopes: May 29 – June 5, 2017

    By Eric Francis Coppolino   ARIES — Avoid verbal confrontations this week, as Mars faces off with Saturn. Even logic is unlikely to be persuasive, as anyone you want to convince of something is likely to be coming from a place of intellectual or religious authority, unconcerned about the annoying facts. Since this may be…

  • From My Bookshelf: Jennifer Ryan  

    From My Bookshelf: Jennifer Ryan  

    By Lynn Willoughby The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir ~ Jennifer Ryan Reading the reviews of this book I expected it to be much like the The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie and Literary Society.  It was, just not as good. This book is a series of letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings that give us insight into…

  • Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Great Ideas from Readers

    Solutions & Substitutions by Reena: Great Ideas from Readers

    By Reena Nerbas Homemade Air Fresheners Dear Reena, I am not only getting tired of replacing numerous plug-in air fresheners around my home, but it is also becoming expensive. Do you have a recipe for homemade air fresheners? Thanks, in advance. Ruth Dear Ruth, Here is a very simple air freshener that you can make…